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Update 23 - 5/19/01
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We are just south of Halifax, following the Lighthouse trail. It is hard to pick a "best" place for our tour, as we have had so many wonderful experiences. The combination of beautiful scenery, historic past, many restored old homes and buildings, and friendly people puts Nova Scotia high on our list.
Leaving Kittery, Maine, we enjoyed a day of great scenery following the coast route into Portland. Spring wasn't quite in full bloom here, but the colorful early bloomers made the landscape bright. Those of you that live on the West Coast are familiar with "Historic Districts" -- usually small sections of towns built by early settlers that have been preserved. Well, as they say if you haven't been along the Eastern Seaboard - you ain't seen nothin' yet! The beautiful examples of various forms of European and Early American architecture just go on for miles and miles. Our route passed from quiet tree lined lanes to the rugged seashore and back. The scenery seemed to reach a crescendo in Kennebunkport where the homes all looked huge, perfect and outrageously expensive -- which of course -- they are!
Approaching Portland we came into town on the new Casco Bay Bridge. It climbs high over the harbor and gives a good view of the docks and ships. On the Portland side we passed next to the Prince of Fundy, the ship that we would be boarding in a few hours for our trip to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. The ferry, which looks more like a cruise ship than a ferry, sailed at 9 PM, right on schedule, and after dinner we quickly retired to our little cabin. The next morning we were up early, ate breakfast and were on deck as we sailed passed the Cape Forchu lighthouse into Yarmouth harbor.
We spent the day in Yarmouth and took a tour bus to see the many historic homes and the lighthouse. The weather was sunny and warm, and after our tour we walked down to the waterfront for dinner, which was of course lobster -- $21 Canadian (about $13 US) for a complete lobster dinner in a restaurant with a view of the harbor at sunset! We were beginning to really like Nova Scotia already.
Fog set in the next day and we waited until later in the day to depart. Following the Lighthouse Route northeast from Yarmouth we passed through quaint little fishing towns, crossing streams and rivers near their mouths in the many bays and inlets along the coast. The southern end of Nova Scotia is noted for fishing communities, as Acadians who resettled here 1767 took up fishing because all the good farmland was already occupied. Even shrouded by fog, the scenery is magnificent. We passed by West Pubnico, Middle West Pubnico, and Lower West Pubnico. We thought we had seen them all when we came to Middle East Pubnico. Apparently, naming communities this way was a tradition of the Acadians.
It started raining in the afternoon and we bundled up to complete the ride onto Cape Sable Island where we checked into the Penny Estates Bed and Breakfast, a 100 year old home still owned by the original family. Being early in the season, there were no other guests, so for about $38 we got the entire place to ourselves.
The next day brought heavy rain, so we decided to stay an extra day. A good decision as George didn't feel well and had a slight fever. That evening he was running a pretty good temperature, but the next morning it was over as suddenly as it came. At the behest of our hosts, Lois and Hubbie Atkinson we stayed another day to tour Cape Sable Island. Lois drove us around the 24 mile loop to see "The Hawk," the southern most point of land on Nova Scotia, as well as several other historic locations, and Hubbie's Boat Yard where he builds the famous Cape Island design fishing boats founded by Ephriam Atkinson in 1907.
Our next stop was Shelburne. The town became one of the largest cities on the East Coast, swelling to over 16,000 when people still loyal to England settled here around 1783. The region could not support the large population and eventually most moved away to settle in other parts of the Province. Because of it's beautifully restored downtown waterfront area, Shelburne has been the site of several motion pictures, most recently, The Scarlet Letter.
We planned to continue on to Liverpool, but when we got to Lockport, we just had to spend a night. We booked a cottage right on the oceanfront. In the afternoon we rode through this historic little fishing village. On the waterfront is Canada's first historic "streetscape," a row of five historic homes that takes you back to the 1800s. Later we walked barefoot along the white sand beach, just a few feet from our cabin. A lobsterman checking pots just offshore and waves crashing on the rock ledges near the lighthouse completed the scene.
Yesterday, reality set back in and we rode about half the remaining distance to Halifax. Departing the coast road and joining the busy traffic on the main route was like leaving a good friend behind. Thankfully, near the end of the day we returned to the quiet roads of the coast and stopped for the evening at a beautifully restored old Country Inn in Broad Cove.
We are headed past Halifax to Shubenacadie, where we will raft the river, UPSTREAM! The huge tides in the Bay of Fundy are so powerful that they will push you up the river for miles!
Living the joie de vivre!
George and Sharon Miner
Vancouver Bicycle Club, Vancouver, Washington
2000 da Vinci Global Venture towing Bob Trailer
Free as the Wind - Our one year self-supported tandem tour of the USA, Mexico and Canada
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